Funeral is 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at Hawkins Funeral Home Chapel in Bridgeport with Jimmy Swetnam officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Jacksboro. Visitation is 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Mildred was the daughter of the late John Elbert Gray and Janie Hensley Gray of Jacksboro. She married the love of her life, James Leroy “Dear” Anderson, Nov. 1, 1934, in Waurika, Okla. They celebrated 64 years of marriage before Dear died in November 1998.

Mildred and James lived in Paradise, where the first three of their seven children, Shirley Lee, James Donald and Kenneth Roy, were born. A daughter and son, Mildred Jane and Stanley Gray, were born in Little Rock, Ark., where Dear worked for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad. Two more sons, Stuart Neal and Tommy Wayne, were born after the Andersons returned to Texas.

In 1947, they bought the old McGinnis farm on County Road 1810, where they raised corn, cotton, peanuts, chickens, pigs and cows over the next 50 years. In addition, Dear worked for Gifford-Hill.

Mildred was a gifted homemaker. She sewed clothing, reupholstered furniture, quilted and produced delicate counted-cross-stitch items. Several of her original paintings, including one of the old farmhouse and the railroad, hang in her home.

She was an active member of Chico First Baptist Church until her later years in life.

Growing up near Wizard Wells, she attended schools at Peach Orchard and Vineyard. Mildred was one of eight sisters and four brothers. Only one sister survives her, Izella Gray Boyd of Bowie. Preceding her in death were Thelma, Dock, Beatrice, J.E., Dena, Iris, Virginia, Jess, Ted, and Wilma Jean. Sister Thelma died in Kentucky in 2012 at age 105.

In addition to her husband, Mildred was preceded in death by her first daughter, Shug, in 2005 and middle son, Stanley of Brownwood in September.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Jane and Freman Hollingsworth of Carrollton; sons and daughters-in-laws, James D. and Marjorie Anderson of Joplin, Kenneth R. and Sally Anderson of Mesquite, Stuart N. and Tammy Anderson of Commerce and T. Wayne and Nancy Anderson of Arlington; daughter-in-law May Anderson of Fort Worth; 23 grandchildren; dozens of great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; caregivers Kathy Turner and Lynn Coyle; other family members and friends.

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